A drawing of the Compact Caravan designed by an Australian design student.

Editor’s Note: Jayco Inc.’s Australian affiliate, Jayco Caravan Australia, was recently involved with a student design competition at a university there. One of the candidates for the top award (called the Tyson Award) was Heather Barrett. The staff at Jayco Australia was so impressed with her they hired her as an industrial designer. Following is a story about her from campertraileraustralia.com.au.

Heather’s “Compact Caravan” was nominated for the James Dyson student design award, held earlier this year.

The Compact Caravan design included a slide-out elevated outdoor area with roof, mosquito net and pull-down seats, and an easy-to-recycle rotationally moulded shell. The appearance of the streamline body was modeled on the popular U.S. Airstream van (travel trailer) first designed in the 1930s.

The concept van (trailer) sleeps three and has a popup section for standing room. Jayco shared with Heather its manufacturing processes and has since recruited her, having been impressed with the outcome of her ideas.

“I guess my project was perfect timing,” she said.

“Jayco wanted to redesign the aesthetics of some of its products for younger audiences, and along I came. I am now fully engaged in a range of products, from tooling to the finished products.”

Would Jayco be adopting her Compact Caravan as a new line of production?

“As I envisaged it, I don’t think so,” she said.

“But that’s OK, I am sure we will both benefit from our association for some time to come.”